Gary Thayer
Gary Thayer
interest numbers raise rates urgent
These numbers look as if there's no urgent need to raise interest rates much further.
behind drag economy inventory numbers period slightly
These numbers are slightly dated, but they show that the inventory liquidation period is over, and that (the) drag on the economy is probably behind us.
concerned continues decline economy grows pace
If unemployment continues to decline and the economy grows at an above-average pace ... I think they (the Fed) will be a little more concerned about bottlenecks.
average beginning increase looks months percent retail sales strong together year
If you put the two months together it still looks as if retail sales were strong at the beginning of the year -- an average increase of 0.8 percent for each of the two months.
change earlier negative percent positive pressures producer recently seem
If you look at the 12-month change in producer prices, it's positive 0.9 percent. As recently as May, the 12-month change was negative 2.8 percent -- so there were a lot more deflationary pressures earlier in year, and those seem to be abating.
behind fed known looked man members perceived prominent supreme true
If you look back at the'70s and'80s, the Fed was perceived to be the man behind the curtains. Today, it's looked at as a more prominent player. I'd say (Greenspan's) better known than members of the Supreme Court, and that wasn't true of his predecessors.
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Generally I think these numbers could reduce some of the concerns about a quick or dramatic change in Fed policy.
concerned dollar factor firm foreign good hold investors line money policies stay time wanting
He's mentioning that the dollar should stay firm and that's been a good factor for our economy. He's been concerned for some time about foreign investors wanting to keep their money here and if we keep our policies in line that should hold for a while.
continued growth report showing
The (February) manufacturing report was a little better than expected, showing continued growth in manufacturing.
august drop earlier
The drop in August is just a pullback from that earlier surge in spending.
component employment healthy lower november saw
The employment component was just a tad lower than what we saw in November so it's still a healthy number.
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The inflation numbers are really good. It's a very encouraging sign that consumers will be able to stretch their incomes a little bit further, and that bodes well for the economy going forward.
critical gas hitting increases looks
The increases (in gas prices) looks like it's hitting a critical level.
along couple dollar extra giving power pressure pricing rise taking weaker
Along with the rise in non-fuel import prices, this suggests the weaker dollar is taking competitive pressure off of businesses, giving them the extra pricing power they didn't have a couple of years ago.